Choosing Your Walking Shoes

Walking is the easiest, and perhaps the most beneficial exercise. But it is only beneficial when done in the proper way. Though walking as an exercise works its wonders every single time, those who do it delicately as workout need to be careful about certain things. While walking for exercise, and otherwise also, you would have noticed that your shoes begin to hurt. The major reason for this is the type of footwear you adorn your feet with while walking. Just like it is important to wear the right kind of clothes while working out, it is imperative to choose just the right footwear.

How to choose the right walking shoes?

A number of factors influence your choice of the walking shoes. One factor that mostly everyone claims to be aware of is the ‘fit’ of the shoe. But let’s not begin there. We start picking up the right shoe by the form it comes in. Walking consists of constant movement of the feet.

Another factor is the heel of the shoe. Do not make the mistake of adorning shoes that have a high heel. Opt for as low heel as possible. However, this does not apply for those looking for running shoes because runners land on the ball of the foot whereas walkers land on the heel first. For this reason, low heels are best recommended since they aid in distributing the weight appropriately and reduce the respective load on the ankle and the knee.

Your feet should have the air to breathe and move flexibly in the shoes that you wear. There should be enough space in the front of the shoe for the toes to move flexibly. For this, take the shoe heel in your hand and with the toe on a hard surface, press down. Check for the place where the shoe bends while doing this. If it bends easily at the forefoot, it is comfortable to go walking in.

Achilles Notch is the next thing you should check while picking up your walking shoe. This is important to decrease the tension/load on the Achilles Tendon while you pace yourself through your walking session. In addition to this, also check for the toe box since it varies from feet to feet. People with narrow feet require more toe space to accommodate for any swelling that may take place while walking.

The next thing on the list is ankle padding. While this is not something that comes with the shoe and is more of an accessory, it helps in great ways. Its major function is to help keep your ankle and heel in place while the activity of walking is carried out.

Depending on the way your foot is shaped, you might need to opt for sneakers with motion control or more stability. Many athletic stores specializing in walking and running shoes can help you find the ideal shoe for your feet.

Many running shoes have flared heels for stability. However, walking shoes typically have no flared heels, with the heel of the shoe being angled slightly inward. This is because flared heels change the way the foot hits the ground while walking. For walkers it’s been to find a shoe with straight heel cut.

It’s also worth mentioning, should you decide to walk on hilly terrain or hike in your shoes, look for shoes with strong sole grip, higher ankle coverage, and strong toe area for protection.

We hope these suggestions helped you. You are one pair of great walking shoes away from having an awesome work out. If you found this information helpful, please share. Thank you!